Another Olympic medallist who will be in Paris is men’s 400m gold hero from Rio 2016 Wayde van Niekerk, whose 43.03 seconds on that occasion remains the world record.
The women’s athletics representatives include three in the marathon — Gerda Steyn, who was 15th in Tokyo 2020 and has since lowered the South African record to 2hr 24min 3sec and is widely considered the world’s finest ultra-marathoner; Cian Oldknow and Irvette van Zyl, who is attending her third Olympics.
Women’s 400m hurdler Rogain Joseph, a gold medallist from the recent African Games in Ghana, will make her first Olympic appearance.
There is a great deal of experience in the first batch with 15 of the 39 having competed in Tokyo four years ago. These are Aimee Canny, Pieter Coetze, Le Clos, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher, Rebecca Meder, Zakhiti Nene, Caitlin Rooskrantz, Matthew Sates, Simbine, Smith, Steyn, Van Niekerk, Van Zyl and Julia Vincent.
Hendricks congratulated the athletes.
“It’s exciting and a compliment to the quality that exists in South Africa that we are able to announce a squad across numerous sports that is bursting with talent, achievers and potential,” he said.
Sascoc names first batch for Olympics and cash incentives for medallists
Image: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Sascoc) president Barry Hendricks has announced financial incentives for medallists at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
Announcing an initial squad containing the first batch of 39 members to represent Team South Africa in July, Hendricks said athletes who win a gold medal will be awarded R400,000 with the coach receiving R100,000.
Athletes who win silver medals will earn R200,000 and R75,000 for their coach while the bronze medal payouts will be R75,000 and R25,000 for their coach.
“Incentives have become part of delivering Team SA,” said Hendricks, adding Sascoc announced the first batch of the squad early because it has learnt from past mistakes.
“As you become more experienced you learn lessons and you create more stability by announcing early. Athletes are in operation excellence, some of them are on Olympic solidarity, all we want is to continue practising in the build-up for Paris.”
The initial squad of 39 athletes represents aquatics, athletics, canoeing, gymnastics, sport climbing, surfing and wrestling and the number is to increase as qualifying is ongoing.
Among the standout athletes announced were double medallist from Tokyo 2020 Tatjana Smith, swimmer Chad le Clos and sprinter Akani Simbine.
Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) won gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke in Tokyo while Le Clos will be attending his fourth Olympics to join an exclusive club that includes Khotso Mokoena, Ryk Neethling, Hendrik Ramaala, Roland Schoeman and Sunette Viljoen.
Le Clos has already entered the history books as the winner of the most Olympic medals (four) by a South African and he’ll be looking to add to that tally in Paris.
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Another Olympic medallist who will be in Paris is men’s 400m gold hero from Rio 2016 Wayde van Niekerk, whose 43.03 seconds on that occasion remains the world record.
The women’s athletics representatives include three in the marathon — Gerda Steyn, who was 15th in Tokyo 2020 and has since lowered the South African record to 2hr 24min 3sec and is widely considered the world’s finest ultra-marathoner; Cian Oldknow and Irvette van Zyl, who is attending her third Olympics.
Women’s 400m hurdler Rogain Joseph, a gold medallist from the recent African Games in Ghana, will make her first Olympic appearance.
There is a great deal of experience in the first batch with 15 of the 39 having competed in Tokyo four years ago. These are Aimee Canny, Pieter Coetze, Le Clos, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher, Rebecca Meder, Zakhiti Nene, Caitlin Rooskrantz, Matthew Sates, Simbine, Smith, Steyn, Van Niekerk, Van Zyl and Julia Vincent.
Hendricks congratulated the athletes.
“It’s exciting and a compliment to the quality that exists in South Africa that we are able to announce a squad across numerous sports that is bursting with talent, achievers and potential,” he said.
Simbine and the speed merchants secure SA’s second Olympic relay spot
Team SA first batch
AQUATICS
ATHLETICS
CANOEING
GYMNASTICS
SPORT CLIMBING
SURFING
WRESTLING
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Perfect Pillay earns silver to secure Wayde’s first medal in eight years
Wayde van Niekerk and co win Olympic 4x400m spot at World Relays
Chinese swimmers send Paris warning amid doping furore
SA fencer qualifies for Paris Olympics
Akani Simbine storms from behind to win eighth Diamond League title
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